“And no one will if you no say yes.”
“Will your people approve?”
“They love you as much as I. They’ve seen the land coming back to life, the darkness fading away. The prophecy said the one with the box must be obeyed. They will never question you, nor hurt you. Neither will I if you would make me the happiest Highlander in all of Scotland. Say you will.”
She beamed, throwing herself on him and flattening him on the ground. “Yes, of course, yes!”
He kissed her then, a kiss that bonded the two of them together far stronger than any ring ever could.
When they eventually emerged from the cave, Rachel wore the ring on her finger.
They made it to the abbey just in time. A new track had been beaten into the earth and it was impossible to get lost. The villagers were aligned before the altar. The rubble had been cleared away, piled up in the open. The first courses of the new church had been built, enough to show the outline of the building.
It was going to be glorious, Cam could tell just by examining the work so far. The stones were aligned with great skill.
At the altar, the bishop stood waiting. When he saw Cam he began to speak. “We are gathered here today to consecrate sacred ground to the Lord, our God. With this ceremony darkness and sin is expunged from the very earth around us.
“This space will remain sacred for as long as there are people to till the earth and pray to the Lord, seeking nothing for themselves but forgiveness for their own sins and those of their fellow countrymen.”
Cam felt Rachel’s hand slide into his. The two of them looked across the crowd, the yellow glow of many torches illuminating the interior of the church. A light breeze blew but it was fresh rather than oppressive.
Cam felt as if all the pain and hardship of the last few months had been worth it for this one perfect moment.
She had said yes.
The bishop continued his speech and Cam did his best to listen but his mind could only focus on the fact that the stunningly beautiful woman beside him was going to be his wife.
She had the chance to go back to the time where she belonged and instead she had chosen to stay with him.
The necklace was locked away in the box. She said she dared not risk wearing it in case it sent her back to the future by mistake.
When the ceremony was done, the bishop remained where he was, talking with the villagers, forgiving each of them individually for their sins, as he had done at MacGregor Castle a few days earlier.
Cam looked around him, surprised to see Rachel had slipped away. He followed her outside, finding her standing by a thin stream that ran around the edge of the range.
“This is the kitchen,” she said when he caught up with her. “Remember that night we spent together here?”
He nodded. “How could I forget?”
“I knew then,” she said quietly. “That I loved you, I mean. I tried to deny it, even to myself but there was no denying the truth.”
“What’s that?” he asked, looking at her outstretched hand.
“The key to the box,” she replied. “Let it go and it becomes the key in the loch. I will never look at the necklace again. It feels like an important moment. Let it go now and I stay here forever, never get the chance to see my mom again.”
“Maybe-”
Before he could say another word she’d let go. The key fell into the stream. The current caught it at once. Despite its weight it didn’t sink to the bottom, instead floating away out of sight into the darkness. “Maybe what?” she asked, turning to look at him, a single tear running down her cheek.
“Maybe we should join the others.”
“In a minute,” she replied.
He slipped an arm around her and together they looked out into the darkness.
Somewhere out there the key was slipping and sliding into the loch. It would sink to the bottom of the dark water minutes later, remaining hidden for many years until the currents swirled and it slowly shifted, edging toward the shore.
Centuries would pass before it reached the beach, buried under sand, waiting for a child running along the beach to trip over it.
